Someway
by buddy w
Summary: In mines run by slaves far underneath Castle Town, Link is working unhappily beside his friends for something unknown to them, but the place is making him act strangely... Then, destiny calls, when a cloaked Visitor enters the mines and takes them away...
1. Chapter 1

Hi there, folks! So... this story hasn't been updated in forever, mainly due to the fact that it was terrible. So I've finally taken the time to sort through my thoughts and actually plan this fic, hopefully making it halfway decent.

So, uh, this chapter hasn't really changed a whole lot. Just a few little changes here and there that probably aren't even noticeable.

The other chapters are going to be taken down, as soon as I figure out how. But fear not, I will be putting them up again, just as soon they fit in with my newly figured plot line.

Enjoy.

buddy w

* * *

**Someway**

"While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions." – Stephen R. Covey

Chapter 1

The constant dripping from the low ceilings provided a certain beat. What might usually have been comforting, some sign that clean water, sunlight, and fresh air actually existed, was now only annoying.

The four boys had been trapped in the mines for ... a very long time. With no indication of day or night, the time had passed without them knowing that it had. The Moblins surrounding them, paid to keep guard, were no help. Every now and then, they would sit down, or hit someone for no reason, but this seemed to be the only kind of rest they needed. Sometimes they would grunt conversations, but that was no help either. The boys didn't speak 'idiot'.

"Hey, I think I found something!" Dark exclaimed.

"Give it up, Dark. You say that twice a day and you've never found anything other than clumps of dirt and rock," Sheik groaned.

"No, I found that shiny bit of metal once!" Dark argued.

"That was the tip of your pick axe, Dark. It had chipped off," Link said. Dark 'hmphed' moodily, and continued chipping away at the rock.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Mido asked after a long silence, his voice a little high as it always was when he considered grave possibilities.

"Sure we will. When we die, they'll drag our bodies out of here and bury us in a nice quiet graveyard somewhere near the sea," Dark answered optimistically.

"You sure?" Mido probed.

"Nope. But a man can dream, can't he?" Dark answered cheerily.

"Anyway, Mido, nobody told you to come after us when we went into the Forest," Link said.

"I didn't know what you were going to do?" Mido retorted heatedly. "What if you were going to hurt the Great Deku Tree?"

Link laughed sardonically. "Me? Hurt the Deku Tree? I was Kokiri too, remember? As if I'd hurt my own folk!"

"Kokiri? You never even had a fairy!"

"I did so! Navi just ... got separated from me!" Mido laughed.

"But you grew up. You aren't a real Kokiri!"

"But-"

"_Would you two give it a break_?!" Sheik yelled exasperatedly. "Do you want those idiots to flog us? Their brains might be puny, but they can damn well handle a whip!" Immediately, Link and Mido abandoned their argument. It was one that they had started many times, and never finished. Whenever something had gone wrong down here, this was what it seemed to boil down to.

Now the only sound that was heard was the clang of metal against earth, and Dark's quiet, ever constant humming. Link kept a straight face, but he was stewing with anger and annoyance inside.

_Mido was wrong_, he thought. _I _am_ a Kokiri_. They had been in the Kokiri forest that day not to harm the Deku Tree, but to talk to it. Over the lonely years Link had spent as Kokiri kid, the Deku Tree had been one of his only friends. When he had gotten a message saying that the old tree was ill, Link and his friends had travelled to see it straight away.

Mido's accusations had stirred something in Link. Dark's words had saddened him. Together, they had unhinged something. In his blinding anger, Link threw down his axe and swore. Sheik and Dark turned to him in alarm, only to see him slump against the wall, head in hands.

"What am I doing here?" he muttered feverishly. "My dream... it was so close...just... so close..."

"Link?" Sheik said gently. Link didn't respond. Sheik put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" As Link yelled, his voice cracked slightly. "Don't... Touch me..."

"Link, what's wrong?" Dark asked.

"I'm a failure... My dream is destroyed... I don't want to live anymore..." Standing up, he kicked away his axe and pushed past Sheik and Dark, towards their guards.

"Hear that? I don't want to live anymore!" he bellowed at the Moblins. Two of the Moblins, the ones closest to him, exchanged a confused glance.

"What's the use of living anyway? You only live to die," Link continued to say, though his voice had quietened considerably. He massaged his temples as his head started to pound. "Kill me," he whispered. Then, more loudly, "_Kill me_!" The Moblins seemed to understand these two words, as their faces changed, and they drew out the long whips from their belts. They started towards Link, their faces presumably contorted in large smiles.

"Link!" Sheik yelled. "Come back here!"

"Stupid conscience," Link muttered in response, pressing his temples a little harder and going forward to the guards. The Moblins grunted to each other, which infuriated Link further.

"What are you to idiots grunting about? My mentor always told me that if you haven't got anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut. I think we can tailor that suit you too. If you can't talk, don't open your mouths!"

One of the Moblins' hands clenched around the whip, and he was the first to raise his weapon.

Dark and Sheik stood stock still, fingers loosening on their axes. This was the second time this week that this had happened to Link. This place was sending him a little loopy. Dark had made friends with a man earlier, and when he had succumbed to the same fate, one day he had just disappeared from the mines. Some people claimed he had been taken away by the Moblins to be tortured, others had said Ganondorf himself was behind his mental condition, and had sent him into a deeper area of the mines. Either way, if Link kept going this way, his future didn't look too bright.

The first Moblin brought his whip down on Link with a crack. The second joined in with relish. Link was standing his ground... for now. Each hit seemed to make his knees become a little weaker, and a few more of his earlier scars to open up. Soon enough, he was crouched on the floor, his hands placed futilely above his head. Sheik and Dark decided it was time to intervene.

"OY! Stop!" Sheik yelled, diving between Link and the Moblins. "Back off!"

Sheik's cry had alerted the other guards. Another Moblin, one who hadn't joined in the flogging, grunted at them. Surprisingly enough, even his grunt sounded like and order. The Moblins looked like they were going to object. One of the Moblins brought his whip down on the rock, then turned way and walked back to their post with the other.

Dark and Sheik slung Link's arms around their shoulders and helped him move away. Link spluttered, and coughed up a little blood. Putting him down against a rock wall far enough that the Moblins wouldn't see them, they turned to Link.

"That was stupid, Link," Sheik stated.

"Really?" Link answered hoarsely. "I didn't notice."

"Whatever. Lay down and I'll bandage you up as best I can." Link did as instructed, and closed his eyes.

Dark sighed next to him.

"Why d'you do it?"

"I... I have no idea..." Link whispered. He couldn't even remember the conflicting thoughts that had angered him so much.

"This place is making you crazy, Link," Sheik stated grimly.

"No. I was always crazy. This place is just bringing it out of me," Link said, cracking a painful smile.

"Aww, man. You've ruined your shirt," Dark said. "They're not going to give you another one."

"Do you have your old one?"

"Yeah, but you don't want it. It smells funny."

"Oh well. It's better than freezing to death because I don't have a proper shirt to wear."

"True," Dark agreed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a huge crash interrupted him. Link sat up with a start, and all heads turned towards a rock wall. Or where there used to be a wall.

It was now just a huge pile of debris. The entire twenty foot wall had collapsed, and on top of the wreckage stood a black figure.

The figure standing on it was not black because of the lack of light, as there was several lanterns lighting the area surrounding. The figure wore black clothing. A cloak billowed out from behind him as the disturbance in the air form the crash still lingered. The man's face was hidden in the cowl of his hood. The only part of him that was noticeable through the dark was his eyes. His sparkling blue eyes.

The intimidating figure strode forward confidently, towards Link, Sheik and Dark. He walked right past them, and towards a set of stairs that were forbidden to the mine slaves. The six Moblins that kept guard of the four boys stepped forward in a line, three holding whips, the other three holding large wooden clubs.

With a disgruntled noise and an impatient gesture, the strange visitor pushed the Moblins away without even touching them. The boys stared at the spectacle with wide eyes, as the Moblins were thrown to the ground by a flick of the visitor's hand. The bosy watched on with amazement.

The Visitor continued forward and right up the stairs. When the shreds of his cloak had disappeared, Sheik turned excitedly to Link and Dark.

"I'm going to follow him."

"Sheik, I though you just said I was the crazy one. I think I'm rubbing off on you," Link said.

"I don't think that's such a good idea Sheik," Dark agreed.

"But look what he just did! What if he is on our side?" Sheik cried.

"What side are we on?"

"Well, we want to get away from Ganondorf, right? That guy headed up to his... crib, or whatever it is. I'm following him. I'll be back," he promised, before scampering off.

"Sheik!" Link called. "You know you can't hide in here!"

"I will be able to up there!" Sheik called back, climbing the ladder silently. Up the top, he just saw the tip of the Visitor's cloak, before it disappeared around a corner. Sheik strode quietly after him. As a Sheikah, many people thought that he and the rest of his people had the power of magic, more specifically, the power to become like a shadow. But that was just an illusion, most likely started and still continued by his people. The reality was that they used the shadows to stalk or follow, but they didn't actually become shadows themselves.

Still on the trail of the strange cloaked man, Sheik stayed in the shadows, just behind him.

He followed the Visitor until a door at the end of the twisting corridor. Without hesitation, the Visitor went through the door, slamming it shut behind him. Sheik hid in the shadow closest to the door, listening carefully.

There was a shout of surprise, then a muffled curse. Sheik recognised the deep voice as Ganondorf's. He closed his eyes in concentration, making sure every single word was committed to his memory.

"How did you get in here?" Ganondorf asked.

"The door," came another voice. Sheik assumed that it was the Visitor's. The voice was calm, and not as gruff and Ganondorf's. There was a slight grunt of annoyance from Ganondorf, then the scraping of wood on tile. He was probably pulling a chair out, Sheik guessed. It also meant that Ganon had apparently added some luxury to the room.

"What do you want this time?" Ganondorf asked.

"Oh, no nice greeting? No, hi, or hello?" The Visitor sounded mildly amused.

"Hi, hello," Ganondorf muttered. "Now, what do you want?"

"I want three of your slaves," the Visitor answered serenely.

"_What_?!" Ganondorf roared. "No, no, definitely no! And they're workers, not slaves."

"Why? Surely you don't need so many. And any that seem to disappear, you replace within a day."

"Disappear? What do you mean by that?" Ganondorf's voice sounded guarded. Well, more guarded than before.

"You know what I mean. I know of your crazy tirades, Ganondorf. And don't think I don't. I know that after some time in here, the air affects them. Then you take them away."

There was a long pause, filled only by the sound of Ganondorf's frantic breathing, and the steady beat of the Visitor's.

Ganondorf finally spoke. "But why d'you wants them for?"

"What do I want them for?" The Visitor corrected. "Now, they are working for you. I want them to work for me."

"What work?"

"That is not your business. But I assure you, I want three of the men. I need hard workers. You can keep the women. I know you use them for... your other needs."

Ganondorf made a noise of displeasure.

"You are wrong. I need all that I have. Replacing them isn't as easy as you assume."

"In that case, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I need three workers of yours."

"Why don't you find your own?" Ganondorf said, enraged.

"I have found yours."

"Find some others!" There was a sharp ring of metal, then the thud of wood. Something had embedded itself in the wall. Something that had made Ganondorf let out an uncharacteristic strangled grunt of fear.

"It appears you understand my language now. Am I right?" The Visitor still sounded calm.

"Yes, yes," Ganondorf said hurriedly. He cleared his throat.

"Good. Now, I need three of your slaves."

"Workers!" Ganondorf objected again. He paused for a moment, grumbled something to himself, then replied, "Yes, you will have them."

"I need them tonight."

Ganondorf groaned.

"I don't have a choice, right? If I say no, I take it I'll have a series of needles embedded in my body. And whilst that doesn't impose a great problem for me, it would be a little inconvenient."

"Inconvenience is my specialty," the Visitor added.

"And it annoys me to no end. Come down into the deep levels, and you may take your three workers."

"Good."

Some metal was sheathed, and footsteps thudded towards the door.

Ganondorf walked out of the door first, and Sheik stayed concealed in the shadows. As the Visitor approached the door, he picked something off a nearby shelf. As he slipped out into the corridor, Sheik caught a glimpse of the long feather he had picked up, before slipping the Visitor slipped it under his cloak. The feather seemed... familiar somehow.

"Nice souvenir," the Visitor muttered, walking out of the doorway completely. Sheik quickly stepped out from his hiding spot and made a tiny scuff with the toe of his worn boot. The Visitor spun around quickly, and his eyes narrowed as he spotted Sheik. Sheik gestured frantically to himself, trying to signal his message. The Visitor's expression, or in his case, eyes, didn't change. He looked at Sheik for a moment longer, then turned and sauntered after Ganondorf. Sheik swallowed nervously, and stepped back into the shadow, just in case.

He moved swiftly down the corridor, around all the twists and turns. He passed Ganondorf and the Visitor when they stopped to look into some other door, and climbed down the ladder just before they came in view of him. He ran to Link and Dark, and quickly picked up his axe and pretended to be working. Link and Dark followed slowly.

"What happened? What did he want?" Link whispered to Sheik between the clinks of metal.

"This new guy is powerful. He convinced Ganondorf to let him take three men from the mines."

"Just like that?" Dark asked, surprised.

"There was a dagger of sorts involved too, and a little persuasion. But still, this guy is _powerful_."

"What about the three men?" Dark asked under his breath. The Visitor and Ganondorf were just visible in the dim light of the mines now. "Did he say who he's going to take?"

"No, just three strong men. He wants them to work."

"So... is he a friend of the red-head or not?"

"I don't think so. I... He's seen my face," Sheik said hesitantly.

Link snorted. "Careless." Sheik turned to glare at him.

"You of all people know that no one sees my face unless I want them to. Look, he may just be our way out of this place. So why not try?"

Mido came running towards them then, his breath ragged and his eyes about three times their normal size.

"Who is this guy? Why's he talking to the bad guy? Why is he here? What's he going to do? Oh, I don't want to die," he wailed pathetically, looking close to tears. Link's temper was shortening, and fast. He balled up a fist, ready to hit the little midget right in the face, but Dark stepped in his way.

"Don't be stupid," he told him.

"They're getting closer," Sheik whispered suddenly. He had picked Mido up and moved him against the wall, where he now sat whimpering quietly.

"- I want strong ones, Ganondorf," the Visitor said. He glanced towards the three boys, his eyes widening marginally when he saw Sheik staring at him.

"These three," he said. "You've been treating them badly, but a little work and they may turn out alright." He turned to the boys again. "You three are coming with me."

"Gah!" Link swore as Mido crashed into his leg, holding onto it with all of his puny might.

"No, don't leave, I don't want to be left alone, please don't leave, please please please don't-" His incessant gurgling was cut off by the Visitors' sharp voice.

"Three and a half then, eh Ganondorf?"

"The deal was three," Ganondorf spat coldly.

"What will one more do to you? Besides, he's not even a man." Ganondorf's eyes turned to the sobbing Kokiri, flashing with anger and annoyance.

"Take them, and be off with you. Don't come back for anything, Shade."

"Ganondorf," the smaller man replied. He nodded them started to walk off, back to the pile of rubble where a wall had once stood.

They continued down a long set of deserted mines, and right past the sets of Moblins. The guards all looked like they were going to protest the workers from leaving, but each time the Visitor would casually wave a hand and all the Moblins would be pushed against a wall.

Sheik schooled his face to show no emotion, but the other three stared at the man before them with horror mingling with awe on their faces.

Soon, they ended up in a part of the mines that they had never ventured to before. It was dark here, not a single lantern lighting the way. A little ball of fire flared into existence above the Visitor's head, showing them the way ahead. Link's feeling of unease grew. Without bothering to talk to one of his friends, he walked straight up to the cloaked man, blocking his way ahead.

"Who are you?" Link demanded.

"The person who will get you out of here," the Visitor replied coldly.

"Why? What do you want us for?"

"Your friend has already told you that. I have a job that I need you to do."

Link exchanged a glance with Sheik, who just shrugged reproachfully.

"How can we trust that you won't be as bad as Ganondorf?"

"You can't. You took the risk, now live with it." The Visitor started forward again, but Link put a hand on his chest. The Visitor pushed it off fast, like he was flicking off a bug.

"Don't touch me," he hissed.

"Why not?" Link taunted.

"You saw those Moblins. I can do worse to you if you do not comply."

"Really...?" Link poked the man just under his throat with his finger, pushing the boundaries.

"I warned you," The Visitor snarled, and raised his hands. Link was thrown against a rocky wall, a few bits of dirt falling onto his head after the impact. The Visitor spun on his heel and started forwards again, the little ball of fire still above his head.

Sheik and Dark helped Link to his feet for the second time today. Link rubbed his head a little where the clumps of dirt had bounced off.

"Dark, Sheik, why is it always me that gets thrown off his feet?" he complained.

"Because, you're all guts, and no brain," Sheik answered.

"_Think_ before you do something next time, Link," Dark agreed.

"Like you?" Link asked sarcastically.

"It may not look like it, but the little walnut sized lump of mush inside my head does actually work now and then."

Link nodded, and stumbled forward a little, regaining his balance. He would have to remember their words next time he felt like doing something spontaneous.

Eventually they reached the end of the mines. All the rock walls ended, to reveal a blank, concrete wall. Link stayed a fair distance away from the cloaked man, prepared to wait until he disappeared to say anything.

The Visitor raised his hands, and a grinding noise filled the stagnant air. The concrete was moving inwards, to reveal a slim space, just big enough for one person to squeeze through. Without a backward glance, the Visitor went through the gap.

"This guy is getting more and more dubious as we follow him further," Sheik muttered. Mido pushed past him, looking almost eager to follow. He still hadn't said a word.

"Dubious and painful," Link said, following Mido hesitantly.

It led to another dark corridor, only this one had walls made of dark grey concrete instead of the dusty rock of the mines.

The Visitor continued to walk at the front of the procession, the little light above his head.

The group walked for a long time. They couldn't say just how long, as life in the mines had diminished their ability to even estimate time. When the light doesn't change, and the even air loses its life, time is an element that takes a back step.

Finally, the dark concrete became lighter. A few lanterns hung on the walls, and the floor became smoother. The Visitor walked for a little while further, then stopped. Raising his hands up to his face, he seemed to pull invisible handles back. Four iron barred doors swung back, opening along one side of the corridor.

Link, Sheik and Dark stopped walking, about ten paces away from Mido, who was ten paces away from the masked, cloaked man. The Visitor spun around to face them.

"Get in," he instructed.

"Ha!"Link snorted. "You're expecting us to just... walk into dungeon cells without a fight?"

"Yes. You especially should realise that it is a very good idea, or... you know what I can do."

"Perhaps you should show him again, while I get out of here," Mido squeaked stupidly, turning to run. The Visitor sighed, and raised his hands again.

Link, Sheik, Dark and Mido were pushed along the ground by some invisible force, down the corridor. One by one, they were thrown with brute force against the far wall of the cell.

Link scrambled off his feet faster than the rest, and tried to run out before the iron gate closed, but a shackle closed around each of his feet, tripping him. He bent down in a futile attempt to undo the tight shackles, but then two more came out of nowhere, and locked around his wrists. Swearing, Link continued to stutter forward, but the shackles, which seemed to have a mind of their own, pulled him backwards. They dragged him, kicking, right to the back wall. The shackles seemed to extend backwards into the wall, and not pull out again. Link slumped helplessly onto his knees, and stared at the floor. The few strips of cloth Sheik had managed to bandage him with earlier had been ripped and had fallen away, leaving all his wounds, old and new, exposed to the darkness. He heard footsteps coming his way. The Visitor strode into the cell, and leaned down towards Link. As his cloak brushed Link's hand, it began to throb strangely, as if it had a pulse of its own.

The Visitor pulled a set of keys from somewhere in his cloak, and locked the shackles, marring any attempt of Link's to get out. He glanced down at Link's hand, and his eyes widened slightly, but then he simply turned away. His face was hidden beneath the hood of his cloak as he shut and locked the iron bars. His head straitened as the door was locked with a faint click.

"I did try to tell you to get in on your own. You left me no choice but to do it by force."

"Did you really expect us to listen?" Link asked caustically.

"Of co- No, no I didn't." The Visitor glanced down at his clothes for a second, as if he was confused by them. He locked Link's door, then moved down the corridor to do the other three.

As his footsteps finally faded into the distance, Link struggled against his chains once again. When the metal started cutting into his wrists and ankles, he swore vehemently, but never stopped struggling. He heard the clink of chains from further down the corridor, but after a few curses, the others were quiet once again. Link looked down at his cut, bleeding wrists, and went limp.

"He says he's going to help us," he seethed, "and then he locks in chains so tight I can't move without bleeding to death faster than I already am."

"These... damn... shackles..." grunted Dark, as he tugged against them once more.

"Link, Dark, calm down a little," Sheik said, though his own words were layered with stress. "Mido, you still with us?"

"Yes," came the quiet reply.

"Good. Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible, boys. I don't know how long we're going to be here for."

"I want to get out of here, Sheik," Link said through his teeth. He thrashed against the chains one last time, stopping as he felt the blood trickle down his hands and drip to the ground. He let out a slow, raspy laugh whilst he glared at the shackles keeping him down. "I have been in those mines... for too bloody long. I thought... that this cloaked guy... I thought he had come to get us out... What a stupid hope." He paused, then let out a furious roar, the air cold on his bare skin and open wounds. "All I wanted... was to see the sky again..."

"We'll get out of here, Link," Sheik said confidently.

"All I wanted..." he repeated, ignoring his friend. "Was to see the sky..."

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Keep a look out for the next chapter.

If you wouldn't mind, drop us a review.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello all!

So, shock horror, this story is being updated. And it's not even the tenth chapter, or whatever it's meant to be. I don't think anyone who has me on their alerts list got something telling them that all the chapters of this story had been deleted and the first one replaced. So for any of you that didn't know this, go back and read the first chapter. Whilst it's not very different from what it was before, there are some changes that I think you ought to read.

This chapter is also not a huge amount different from the way it was previously, but I'm quite pleased with it now. It's starting to show the character personalities and little bits of information that I didn't have in here before.

_Would someone please shut up that goddamned chicken!_

Pardon me. Anyway, enough of my long Author's Note.

Read on and enjoy.

* * *

**Someway**

"I've been waiting in the dark for a long time, shining my beacon of hope through the shadow. If you see me, don't you hide your eyes from me." - Unknown

Chapter 2

In some ancient Hylian literature, the sun is known as Din's eye, watching over her people. Link wasn't particularly interested in reading, but he knew he would love to see the sun again.

He let out a low hiss of frustration, still slumped in the same position as he had been hours ago. He could feel the muscles in his entire body becoming stiff. It was going to be painful when the time to move came again.

His breath came in low, shallow gasps now. As much as he tried to breathe normally, his body would always seem to reject the large amounts of air he was sending in.

"Link," Sheik called.

"Yes," he replied croakily. His mouth and throat were dry and his voice hoarse, he felt like he had spent weeks out in the harsh desert.

"It's not getting any better is it?"

Link didn't need to reply. His condition, if you could call it a condition, had worsened over the hours they had spent here. It was even darker here than the mines.

A sudden smash came from one of the cells. Link drew a particularly sharp breath, causing him to splutter and cough a few times. He had stopped bleeding ages ago, but his wounds were still gaping open and in dangerous need of attention. The cold air didn't help him get comfortable either.

"… What was that?" Mido asked quietly.

"Me," Dark grunted.

"What broke?"

"Shush. I'm concentrating, Sheik."

It was quiet for a few minutes, Link's cold gasps creating little wisps of cloud in front of his nose.

"Got it!" Dark exclaimed, piercing the silence.

"Got what?" Link growled. His feeling of helplessness wasn't doing anything to lift his mood.

"There was a lantern hanging a little way above my head. I just broke it."

"And…?"

"Now I've got lantern oil all over my hands."

"Squeeze out!" Sheik encouraged.

"Trying," the other boy grunted. He let out another exclamation after his wrists were urged free. There was a little tinkle of metal, which surprised the others.

"What have you got now?"

"Lock picks."

"Why didn't you tell us you had them before? We could've gotten out of here ages ago!" Sheik said.

"Yes, well, I couldn't reach them before, now could I?" Dark replied.

"Stop with the chit chat and get the rest of us out of here!" Link snarled.

"Will do."

It didn't take long before all four boys had been released from their chains and were out of their prison cells. Though they had secretly considered leaving Mido behind, they had decided against it. Link and Mido's mutual childhood friend would kill Link if she ever found out.

Sheik started to help Link redo his bandages, but the latter just pushed him away without a word. He took the lead, stalking down the corridor and doing his best not to show the others how much his lungs were burning and his head spinning.

"Why are you going that way Link?" Dark called, though the sound of his footsteps echoed as he followed his friend. "What if that's not the right way?"

"Well, it's a way, right? So it'll lead us somewhere," he replied cynically, not bothering to look behind him.

"We're going the wrong way," Mido chirped.

"And how do you know that, pipsqueak?"

"Well, _you_ want to go this way. And you're stupid. So that means we're going the wrong way." Link turned on the little Kokiri, his hands curled up into fists. His face contorted into an expression of absolute fury and he launched at the younger boy.

They both landed with a thump on the ground, wrestling futilely for a moment. There was no way Mido could win, what with Link being double his size. Link hauled the orange haired child to his feet, glaring daggers at him. Mido had streaks of dirt smeared all over his face and whilst his eyes were hard, he was wearing a very hurt expression.

"Let go of him Link," Sheik said quietly, gazing at his friend with a very confused look.

"If there was even a sharp stone around here, I would stab you with it, you little runt," Link snarled, his arm moving so that his hand was now around Mido's throat. He had completely ignored Sheik. Mido's eyes grew large and he spluttered a few times.

"Link!" Sheik said sharply. "Let him go."

"One day, I swear, I will string you by your toes and whip you until you bleed to death…" Mido let out a weak whimper. "And while you're dying, I'll cut into your stomach and-"

"Link!" Sheik bellowed. He was cut off as Link suddenly went flying across the space and into a wall, Mido thrown to the floor. Link let out a strangled cry as he hit the wall, a loud crack echoing around the eerie corridor.

"You managed to escape," a voice said stoically. It didn't seem like he was particularly surprised. A figure stepped out from the shadows. It was the man who had taken them from the mines. "You managed to escape, and then you start squabbling like fools." He turned on his heel and strode off down the corridor, the same way they had been going.

"Wait!" Dark called, confused. "Aren't you going to lock us up again?"

"Do you want to be locked up again?" Sheik whispered to him.

"No, of course not," the Visitor said to Dark, sounding slightly exasperated. "This time, you're coming with me."

"Where?" Dark asked suspiciously.

"Wait and see." He glanced at Link and Mido. "Pick those too up and hurry along. I haven't all night."

Sheik and Dark helped Link to his feet, being careful as Link was sure he had broken his shoulder. He wheezed with the effort of walking, every breath he took made his lungs burst into flame. He walked with his good arm around Dark's shoulder and with Sheik's arm around his waist, leaning on them both heavily.

Mido grumbled disconcertedly as he heaved himself up from the ground. He shot a nasty glance at Link, but the older boy didn't seem to notice. He was having his own troubles.

They walked for a while. Long enough to make Link feel as weak as a jellyfish, but as he was in pretty bad shape before anyway, that didn't count for much. Nobody spoke as they travelled, though Mido sighed from time to time.

"Stop here," the cloaked man finally ordered. Sheik and Mido sat Link down against the wall and watched as the man took something from his clothes.

"Drink these," he said, tossing some little glass vials at them.

"If you were just going to kill us, why did you make us walk all that way?" Dark challenged angrily.

"I'm not trying to kill you," the man replied with a sigh. "These drafts will knock you out for a few hours, nothing more."

"We'll end up in the Sacred Realm."

"You're not good enough to be going to the Sacred Realm even if I was trying to kill you."

"Give me one," Link said, staring at the man, his face unreadable.

"Link, but what if he's-"

"Then I'll die. Give me one."

Sheik hesitantly handed him one of the vials, the liquid inside a dark murky brown. Very unpleasant looking. Link uncorked it with shaking fingers, but whether it was from the cold, loss of blood or fright no one could tell. Mido looked on with an almost eager expression.

Link swallowed it in one go, leaning back and closing his eyes. He was silent for a few moments.

"Well, I'm not dead yet, right?" He laughed, a hollow, dry laugh. The others glanced at the cloaked man, who nodded and beckoned for them to swallow the contents of their own tiny bottles.

Slowly, they complied.

Once the Visitor was satisfied that all of them were unconscious, he turned around and spoke to a corner.

"You can come out now Impa."

A tall, lean woman stepped out of the shadows. Her greying hair was tied into a tight bun on the top of her head and she wore a stern expression that looked permanent.

"Could you open the door?" the Visitor asked, fiddling with a little tie on his cloak. "I'm afraid I don't really have the energy to at the moment, and I have to attend court in a few hours."

"Of course." The wall made a loud grinding noise, before a section of it moved inwards, revealing a gap big enough for two men to slip through.

"They need to be taken to the infirmary," the cloaked man instructed, his voice becoming more commanding than it was before. "The blonde one will need treatment fast, as I can already see he is struggling. I am not sure if the cure we have now will be enough."

"It will be enough," the woman named Impa replied confidently.

"Please keep an eye on them. Do not chain them down unless it's really necessary. Don't lose your temper."

"That's a long list, your Majesty."

"Help me carry them inside?"

"Of course," Impa answered with a sigh. Together they bent over, Impa carrying two of the young men over he shoulders, the Visitor carrying the smallest in her arms and making the other float along just above the ground before her.

Light filtered lightly through the white cloth that had been placed over the windows. Footsteps could be heard every so often and occasionally the clink of bottles.

Link squinted, his eyes unused to the sudden light. He tried to move his head, but his neck was stiff from having been still for several days.

A heavy door opened, its bottom scraping along the floor. The click of heels followed.

"How is he?" a quiet voice asked. It was a lady, probably brought up in luxury with her polite, cautious voice.

"Not too much better, I'm 'fraid, milady." This voice was definitely not of a lady of rank. "Though he stirs slightly now and then."

"Has he regained consciousness yet?"

"Not yet, milady."

Link wondered who they were talking about. And, more importantly, where he was.

"Thank you, Alana, you may go," the first lady dismissed.

There was the click of heels on the floor again, but this time Link could tell they were getting closer to him. He felt a weight press on the edge of the bed he was lying on but it was a few moments before he managed to completely open his eyes.

He found a woman sitting on his bed, wearing the most curious expression on her face.

"What?" he croaked. He coughed a few times, realising that talking hurt.

"Elegant first words," the woman replied with a smirk. A slightly unladylike smirk. Link shook his head, confused.

"Who _are_ you?"

"That is none of your business," she said haughtily, her nose slightly higher in the air.

"You remind me of someone," Link noted, a crease between his eyebrows.

"Perceptive," she said quietly, nodding to herself.

"_What?_"

"Don't you worry about it."

"Are you going to answer any of my questions?"

"Try and see."

"Where am I?" Link finally asked.

"The infirmary."

"_The _infirmary? What do you mean by _'the'_? Do you own this place?"

"How do you know I don't work here?"

"You're not dressed like a nurse or a healer." And indeed she was not. She was probably the most beautiful woman Link had ever seen. She wore a long gown that went to her ankles and highlighted her curvaceous body. Her smile was enchanting and her eyes sparkled mischievously between gold locks of hair that fell to the sides of her face.

"That's true," she complied. "My father owns this place."

"What exactly is this place?" Link continued to prompt.

"Hyrule Castle," she finally answered. Link sat up suddenly, his teeth clenched. He let out a hiss of pain as he realised that his injuries along his stomach had some sort of poultice on them. His shoulder was in a world of pain and his gashes stung, but he continued to stare at the woman before him.

"Then you are Zelda Harkinian," he stated flatly.

"_Princess _Zelda Harkinian to you," she said angrily.

"My apologies, _your majesty_," Link mocked, bowing his head.

"I saved your life, but you cannot even manage to spare some manners."

"I am not a nobleman like the ones you have mingled with all your life. I give respect only to the ones who have earned it in my eyes."

There was a furious pause where both parties glared at each other.

"Where have you taken my friends?" Link asked forcefully.

"They have been given a place to stay within the Castle," the Princess replied, eyes still narrowed.

"How do I know you haven't killed them?"

"You don't."

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Link growled.

"The one who rescued you from Ganondorf."

Link's eyes widened. "No… But you were a man."

"I was _pretending_ to be a man," she snarled, turning away. Link almost grinned at her discomfort. He had found a touchy point, apparently.

"You're not going to answer anything else even closely related to that topic, are you?"

"No," she replied vehemently.

"Will you at least tell me why I'm here?" Link requested.

"Your wounds are being treated."

"Obviously. There's something else."

"Like what?" the Princess asked innocently.

"You tell me, Harkinian."

"It's _Princess Zelda._"

"Whatever."

"You are here because we are still treating your poisoning."

"I haven't been poisoned," Link said, bewildered.

"The air in the mines has had a chemical added to it which poisons the mine slaves. When you breathed in the normal air, your body had a strange reaction, much like you had been poisoned."

"Then why aren't my friends in here, being treated too? You really _did_ leave them to die, didn't you?" He started heaving himself off the bed, but as soon as he pulled the blanket off he shivered. A shirt would be necessary before he went off to find his companions.

"They're alive. Their treatment has finished already. Your poisoning was by far the worst," Princess Zelda told him. She pressed a hand lightly to his chest, making him shiver again. "Don't you dare even think of getting up until we tell you to." She stood up and brushed her dress of invisible bits of dirt.

"What am I meant to do, just lying here?" Link called to her as she began to walk away.

"I really don't care."

"Where are you going?"

"I have an appointment with a _nobleman,_" she replied without looking back. She walked out the door, pulling it closed behind her.

Link heaved himself into a sitting position painfully, grunting as his torso ached. His shoulder was in a sling and he was unable to move it. He twisted around a little, to find a chair next to the head of his bed and a window behind it.

With his leg he kicked the chair around and pushed it back. His good arm trembled as he pushed himself up off the bed, his strength waning. With wobbling legs, he stumbled the two steps to the chair, plopping down with a relieved sigh. He wound the window open, letting in the light breeze. Leaning forward, he took a deep breath then leaned back in his chair.

Then, with a little bit of satisfaction, he sat back in his chair and enjoyed the sight of the sky, Din's eye shining bright above him.

* * *

Reviews are very much valued and appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi all!

So, I probably should've updated faster than this, but damned school unfortunately comes before this. I'm pretty happy with this chapter, but I'm not completely sure about the whole army ranks thing. So if any of you feel like correcting me, please, go ahead.

A new character is introduced, who will be pretty important. He is my OC, but I love him, so I had to put him in. Don't hurt me for it.

Oh, and I've got a few reviews asking what world this is set in. This is pretty much AU, but taking aspects from OoT for sure, and some from the other games too. But other than that, I've altered everything a little to fit into the story and how I want it to go. A lesser beating would be pleasant, please.

Read on and enjoy!

buddy w

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"A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out." – Grace Pulpit

Chapter 3

It had been three days since he woke up in the Castle infirmary, and Link was bored. He was a restless person by birth, always having to do something. Lying around in a hospital bed, swallowing disgusting potions throughout the day was not his version of fun.

To add to his unease, he'd had no word from his friends. He was starting to doubt the Princess when she'd said that her friends were still alive and well. Speaking of the Princess, he hadn't seen her again either.

Link's shoulder was, miraculously, able to move again. He took his arm out of the sling hesitantly, flexing his fingers experimentally. He breathed out slowly as he started to move his shoulder. It shifted slightly, then jarred. He hissed in pain as it became sore again. But at least he had moved it a little, and his forearm was now able to move fine.

"What are you doing out of bed?" a nurse snapped, striding towards him. "Get back in there."

"I just wanted a walk," Link replied icily. "I hope you don't mind if I change out of this ridiculous sheet," he gestured to the white shift they had made him wear. "And have a little walk about the Castle."

"You'll do no such thing!" she ordered. "Back to bed until you're fully recovered." Link glared at her, but she only glared back. Giving in, he plopped himself back onto the bed, back against the wall.

She walked out of the room with one last glare at her patient, her shoes clicking against the tiled floor.

Link stared at her, counted to twenty after she had disappeared, then jumped out of the bed once again. He grabbed the old tunic and pulled it over his head slowly, gritting his teeth slightly as he slipped his sore arm through the hole. Putting on his old ragged breaches, he set off, opening the door quietly and creeping out of the infirmary.

Link wandered barefoot down the corridor, turning randomly into other corridors and occasionally, other rooms. Hearing a shout from outside, he peeked out of a window as he passed.

His eyes widened.

From his viewpoint, he had complete view of a large courtyard. Rows and rows of men were lined up, all standing at attention. One man stood at the front of the group, gazing upon them with a condescending look. He yelled a word, and all the soldiers snapped to salute. The lone man at the front paced back and forth, hands behind his back, shouting orders.

Link started to walk again, slower this time. He stayed along that side of the corridor, his eyes stopping and staring out of every window he passed.

It took a while, but he eventually ended up in the courtyard, about fifty paces away from the training soldiers. Link squinted at the officer, the leader of the group, trying to identify the man.

"The nurses tell me that you have been a right pain these last few days," a voice said from behind him. Link grimaced, but made sure his expression was stoic before he spoke.

"Princess," he greeted, not bothering to turn. His eyes were still watching the soldiers, as they squatted, then jumped back into a fighting stance.

"Princess _Zelda. _Or _Your Highness_," she corrected stubbornly.

"Whatever," he sighed.

"What are you doing out of bed?" she demanded.

"Well, if you must know, I fancied a walk. Staying in bed all day was never really my thing, as much as I like my sleep."

"Would you much rather be with them?" She indicated the soldiers.

"Yes... and no."

"Are you _trying_ to annoy me with your answers?" she asked dryly, shaking her head. Though the day was slightly overcast, her blonde hair still seemed to shine.

"I hope you're not expecting me to spill my story to someone I don't even know," Link replied stubbornly.

"What if I make it an order?" she suggested. Link turned to her, his arm spread out grandly and his head high.

"Then flog me, Princess. Put me to death. That's the worst you can do." Zelda sighed irritably but didn't pursue the topic. After a long silence, Link started to walk again, around the edge of the courtyard always a good distance from the soldiers.

"Where are you going?" Princess Zelda called after him. He heard her delicate footsteps behind him as she ran to catch up.

"It's not usually considered polite to depart from your company without bidding a goodbye," she chided.

"I don't really regard myself as the most polite person, to tell you the truth," Link replied. He stopped mid pace for a moment and narrowed his eyes, staring at the officer commanding the privates. "Who _is _that guy?" he muttered to himself. This turned Zelda's attention to the man as well.

"Lieutenant Officer Rubin Coles," she said. Link's eyes widened, then he turned away.

"I think it's time that we got back to the Castle, don't you, Princess?" he prompted, grabbing her elbow unceremoniously and almost dragging her away.

"H... hey! Watch what you're doing!" she reprimanded. She yanked her elbow away from him and walked a couple of strides ahead. Link didn't even bother to comment, just followed closely behind her.

"What is it about boys and the army, anyway?" she huffed as they entered the Castle. "I always see them staring at the men with such... admiration... vexation, something!"

"Actually Princess, when I see the men in uniform it brings back certain memories," Link answered, heading down a random corridor that he hoped lead to the other side of the grounds.

"Memories, huh? Like what? Are you a criminal? I swear, if you have a price on your head I'll-"

"I have no price on my head. I'm wanted no more."

"No more?"

"Thanks to you, my friends and I have been separated. I am stuck in this despicable Castle, wearing clothes thrown at me by possibly the vilest man in Hyrule, with a bossy, overbearing Princess at my heels yapping about how men have a fixation with other men wearing bloody uniforms!" Link spun sharply on his heel to glare furiously at the Princess. "Now, would you mind terribly if I told you that I wanted some time alone?"

Princess Zelda of Hyrule stared at the man before her, unnerved that a peasant, not to mention a sober one, should speak to her in such a way. She didn't move when he turned back around and stalked off down the hall. It was a few moments before she could move, but when she regained control of her legs she headed off towards the library.

"May I ask what you're doing here, Princess?" Zelda turned her head sharply, only to find one of her oldest friend's standing behind her, hands on hips wearing her usual stony expression.

"Oh, Impa, you frightened me," the blonde woman breathed. "I was just looking up some records."

"... of soldiers?" She paused, then clapped her hands twice. "Ah, I see! Our little Princess has finally chosen herself a husband, a noble warrior, nonetheless. So, have you found which regiment he is in yet? Or where they are currently placed?"

"Impa," Zelda sighed, shaking her head. "I have not chosen a husband, I assure you. It will be some years yet, I promise. I am only nineteen, surely you remember."

"Then why, may I inquire once again, are you looking up army records?"

"How old is the boy? Li... Link, or whatever his name is?"

"The same age as you, I believe." Impa took a seat next to the Princess, her eyes scanning over the page of the book that Zelda had open before her. She stopped at the name next to Zelda's delicate finger.

"There is no last name recorded," Zelda noted, with slight disappointment. "But all the same, I have not been able to find a family name for the man either."

"He was placed in the same regiment as Lt. Officer Rubin Coles, I see."

"Yes, that much I suspected, actually. We saw the Officer training a large group of Privates earlier and Link's reaction _was_ rather queer."

"It is written here that he completed his eighteen months of training," Impa read. "Then what is he doing now? I'm certain that I have never seen him before."

"Me too. I do believe we have an underage drop out from Hyrule's noble army."

An hour after leaving the Princess, Link found himself sitting in one of the lower branches of a tree, leaning against the trunk and glaring up at the sky.

"I don't know why you hate me," he said. "Sure, I haven't done much during my life, but it's not like I've... killed anyone... Wait, see, right there! Why are you punishing me? There must be thousands of soldiers who have killed before, yet I'm the one who is being strung by his toes! Dammit, Din, Nayru and Farore! Why do you hate me!" he yelled. There was a flutter of wings from above him, and a few moments later he saw a flock of birds flying away.

"You're scaring the precious birds," Princess Zelda said from the ground. Link looked down at her with a flush of anger. He glared back into the sky again.

"And now you send your dear, dear Princess to do your bidding," he growled. He spread his arm out and opened his mouth to say something more when a rock flew and hit the side of his skull, causing him to topple over sideways, lose grip on the trunk of the tree and flip over, so that he was hanging upside down, his legs still wrapped tightly around the branch. His face was barely inches from Zelda's.

"The Goddesses have nothing to do with your predicament," she said calmly. "You have brought it all upon yourself."

"What are you on about, Princess?" Link asked, a little calmer than before. He rubbed the side of his face where the stone had hit. The blood was rushing to his head, making his face flush red.

"If a man," she started sagely. "Commits sin in his life, whether it be against the Goddesses, against himself, or," she glanced up at him, "against the crown, he will be punished for it." Link reached up with his good arm, held himself up for a second while he swung his legs down then landed on the ground.

"You need to stop talking so formally Princess. I'm a commoner, remember?" His voice had become slightly stiff.

"You enlisted in the army of Hyrule at the illegal age of 16, and then left just after your seventeenth birthday with no indication, reason or apparent motive. This is a crime punishable by death, I'll let you know."

Link let out a shuddering sigh. "How do you know this?"

"I'm the Princess. I don't have to tell you anything."

"I'll have you know, Princess, that it is not legal to gather information like that either," he rebutted weakly. She shot him a smile through her serious demeanour.

"I'm the Princess," she repeated. "This is why nobody has heard of you, isn't it? You're on the run from my father's men."

"I'm not on the run," Link replied harshly. "I ran once, but never again. I'm a wanderer, and no one's ever wandered effectively through a city where every road and gully is marked."

"What did you run from, eh?"

"That is not for you to know."

"Perhaps not me, but I'm sure your old friend would love to know." She turned behind her to see a tall man walking briskly towards them. He held his head high, indicating his high rank.

"Princess Zelda, I was told to report to you," he said breathily as he reached them. He glanced at Link, then away, and then back again, where his stare stayed. "… Link?"

Link swore under his breath but held the officer's gaze. "Rubin."

"Link!" Rubin Coles roared, drawing his sword with an experienced hand and pointed it swiftly at Link's throat. His dark hair fell forward to hang in his face. "Boy, am I glad you're not dead."

"Really?" Link squeaked. "Well, this is the first way someone's shown relief this way."

"Now, _I can kill you myself!"_ He brought his arm back a little, preparing to thrust if forward into Link's throat, when a hand caught his elbow.

"As much as that would be an enjoyable spectacle, I do have need for the boy yet," Princess Zelda uttered calmly, forcing down Rubin's elbow. Reluctantly, the soldier let his arm drop, his gaze never leaving the man before him.

"Where the hell have you been all these years?" Rubin whispered fiercely. "After that day... you just disappeared." He paused. "You ran, didn't you?"

"...yes."

"After you promised me?" his voice cracked. "You left me alone, Link. I was your best friend... and you left me alone."

"Rubin, I-"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "Just shut up." There was a huge silence. "Do you have any idea how long I looked for you that day? On the ground, amidst all those that had died. I have never flipped over so many of the dead in my life. I delayed their cremation for three weeks and I swear the Goddesses punished me for that. To be disrespectful to the dead is something I never thought I'd be, but I was, all because I was sorting through them, over and over and over again. For you."

Silence flooded the area, even the Princess not having anything to say.

"Why did you run!" Rubin bellowed, thumping his fist into the tree trunk just above Link's shoulder. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for a seventeen year old to keep going with his life, when his best friend is missing and the world thinks he's about to turn twenty? Do you!"

"Bu... I... It seems you've done pretty well for yourself, though," Link said pitifully. "You're a Lieutenant Officer now, from what I hear."

Rubin snorted. "Only from a couple months ago, and only because I'm not too great as a private anymore." He lifted his pant leg to just above his knee, to reveal the angry scars that covered, and the bit of bone that jutted out awkwardly. "I injured my knee pretty badly, about a year after you left. I can still move, but it's not long before it goes lame. I'm not too much use in the battlefield, but by teaching youngsters and helping with strategy is a way I can make up for it."

"Those youngsters aren't much younger than you, mate," Link said, cracking a small smile. Rubin smiled in response, then shook his head sadly.

"I still can't believe you left."

"I'm sorry, really," Link apologised. "I just..."

"I always knew you had a weak stomach," Rubin replied snidely, but not unkindly.

"Lieutenant Officer Rubin Coles," Zelda started, pushing between the two men. "Is only nineteen? You're the same age as him?"

"Bugger." Rubin swore a few more times under his breath, earning a smirk from Link and a grimace from the Princess. "Why didn't you remind me that she was here?" he asked Link desperately.

"So we have some underage soldiers," she continued, ignoring the interruption as best she could, though she was still wearing the grimace. "If the King ever found out, he'd have you both flogged until you could barely breathe."

"It's not the King I'm scared of, it's the Commander of the Army. He's still the same guy, isn't he?" Link addressed Rubin questioningly.

"He retired a couple of weeks ago. They're looking for a new Commander... damn, I could've been promoted!"

"What a shame," Zelda replied, sneering. "Imagine what could happen to you now. You're not of noble birth, and from what I've been able to find, you don't really have much family either."

"You could just not tell anyone," Link suggested. "I mean, what good would that do to any of us anyway?"

"I would get to see you flogged," she pointed out.

"But does the court know you go around dressed as a man in the dead of night?" he replied. Rubin stared at him, wide eyed and unbelieving. "Because I'm sure that information could be with held, but only at a price..."

"Fine," Zelda agreed hastily, frowning deeply. "For now."

"Great! So, I'll just be going... now..." Rubin said, taking a side step away from the other two, glancing at them furtively.

"Oh, no," Zelda chided. "You still threatened to kill someone under my ward for the time being. Not to mention he's a soldier... kind of. I think an afternoon in the kitchens would do you some good." Rubin sighed, hung his head as he sheathed his sword and traipsed slowly towards the Castle.

"The kitchens? That's the best you can do?" Link objected. "That's no punishment for him."

"Oh really? And why's that?"

"Just wait until you taste tonight's dinner. It'll be the best you've eaten for months, I guarantee it."

"A soldier's opinion is not always one to be trusted," she replied huffily. "And you are to return to the infirmary immediately."

"But I'm not ill!"

"You're arm is injured and you have at least two more doses of potions to go."

"As much as I'm flattered that you care, Princess, -"

"Go!" she screeched. Link's jaw hardened, but he decided to go along with it, if only just to humour her. Damn stubborn, obnoxious Princess.

"Lt. Officer Coles, I do hope you know which way the kitchens are!" she called after the dark haired man, who had stopped, drawn his sword and slashed it a few times through the air. He ignored her but started trampling back towards his destination.

"Huh," Link snorted again. "Have you ever met a soldier who didn't know where the kitchens were?"

* * *

Please drop us a review!

I just thought I'd spread the word... THE NEW WII LEGEND OF ZELDA IS COMING OUT SOON!

That's it from me now, I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

Calculation never made a hero – John Henry Newman

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Chapter 4

It was late into the night when Link woke up, his head throbbing terribly. He couldn't help but groan as he rolled out of the infirmary bed, his bare feet slapping against the cold floor of the infirmary. He held his head in hands for a moment, before getting up and wandering absently towards the door, shoving it open with his good shoulder and traipsing down the cold corridor.

It wasn't long before he found himself in the same courtyard he had seen Rubin in early that morning. The ground was freezing beneath his unprotected feet, the wind harsh against his pathetic, ragged clothes. In a corner of the courtyard there was a small square of grass surrounding a water fountain. He sighed as he sat on the edge of the fountain, staring blankly at the ground below him. A little stone sat at his feet. He glared at it. Sometimes he thought his life was like a stone. Hard. Cold. But there was a difference. Stones didn't bleed.

He leant down and picked up the offending stone, tossing it up in the air and catching it again. He threw it up higher, it flying over his head and back a little. He leaned backward; attempting to catch it, when his feet left the ground he wobbled for a moment, then fell backwards. He landed with a painful splash in the water.

The next instant, someone had a painful grip on the collar of his shirt and was dragging him back up to the surface. He pouted once his face was out of the water. The fountain was barely even waist deep. He hadn't needed the help to get out again.

Sopping wet, the person let him climb out of the water himself, his clothes feeling heavy and even more uncomfortable. He looked up, planning to say something to whoever pulled him out, but his mouth snapped shut and he scowled.

"Why don't you ever do what you're told?" she hissed angrily. Princess Zelda was in a thin dress, something that you would expect to a see a maid in, glaring at him furiously. He noticed the black cloak she had draped over her arm.

"Ah, where have you been?" he asked, eyeing the cloak. "Been wandering around town?"

"…no," she replied, now staring guiltily at the ground. Link smirked. She smelt horribly of cheap wine and there were some suspicious stains on her used-to-be white dress.

"I'm sure your father would be pleased to know what his daughter does in the dead of night," Link teased, making sure his mind had logged this situation away, in case it was needed later for blackmail. The Princess fumbled with her words for a few moments, than let out a frustrated, strangled cry. Link grinned and shook his head, droplets of water from his hair flying everywhere. He heaved himself to his feet clumsily to stand before the Princess.

"I'll be taking your leave now, your _Highness_," he mocked, bowing his head slightly and starting off.

"You'd better be going back to the infirmary," Zelda warned from behind him.

"Not going to happen, Princess."

"Then where will you go?" He heard her clacking footsteps hurrying along behind him.

"Wherever I please. But first, I'm thinking I'll go down to the town and ask after my friends."

"You won't find them there," she said quietly.

"The town is just a starting point. I'll start there, and see where it takes me."

"You are not to leave the Castle grounds," Princess Zelda said forcefully.

"Why don't you stop me?" Link taunted without turning back. He was jerked backwards as she yanked his hand. Spinning him around, she slapped him across the cheek. He was suddenly forced backwards by an invisible force, lost his balance and fell backwards, hitting his head hard on the stone paving of the courtyard.

The last thing he head that night was the mingled ringing in his ears along with the clack-clack of shoes retreating on the stones.

He was jerked awake by the cold feeling of water. He looked around, bleary eyed and confused, when another splash of water hit him in the face.

"Get _up_, you lazy son of a-"

"I'm up, I'm up," Link objected groggily, his hand reaching out blindly in an attempt to get his bearings. A hand pulled him roughly to his feet.

"_Finally_!"

"What are doing here anyway, Rubin?" the blonde man asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I've got a training session here this morning. What exactly are _you_ doing here? And asleep, none the less," Rubin replied sourly.

Link looked up in confusion for a moment, then his expression became dark. "I was just going for a walk and sat down for a moment. I guess I, uh, fell asleep?" he excused lamely. He couldn't help himself running through various ways to _murder_ the pretty Princess.

"Oh, well, that's _completely_ normal." Rubin's tone was full of sarcasm, and it made Link's frown deepen. "Now, do you mind getting out of here? I've got some kids to teach."

"They're not much younger than you," Link reminded him again. Rubin grimaced. "Oh, hey, I saw yesterday that you were wearing your father's sword. How is he?"

"... He died a year ago," Rubin replied stiffly. Lin's eyes moved to the ground in embarrassment. Rubin had adored his father. "Yeah, yeah, no need to apologise. I know you didn't know. His sword was the last, and only, thing he left me."

"Oh," was the only thing that came out of Link's mouth. Rubin glanced at him, a small smile suddenly playing about his lips.

"From what I remember, you weren't too bad with a sword, or a bow and arrow, a couple years ago. Have you had much practice recently?"

"I've been in the mines for... who knows how long. And I don't think _Prissy_ is too keen to hand me anything sharp and pointy at the moment," Link said acidly.

"She'd kill you if she ever heard you talking about her like that," Rubin snickered. "But if you're looking for a chance to get back into things... join me today," he offered. Link's eyes brightened a little.

"Sure! It'd be great to have a sword back in my hand and I'd love to teach some of the-"

"Oh, no," Rubin laughed, grinning widely. "You're welcome today, but you won't be instructing."

It was barely an hour later when Link was running through the Castle, hopping along clumsily every few steps as he tried his best to yank on his boot. After a stop at the kitchen, he had visited the small military quarters within the Grounds. Even though Rubin was about half a head taller than him, with a belt around his waist and his pants tucked into his boots, his old friend's clothes fit him quite comfortably. He was glad for the completeness of the garments, as his old ones seemed close to falling to pieces, not to mention still slightly damp.

His borrowed sword clanked at his side as he stumbled into the courtyard, where the rest of the soldiers were already lined up and ready.

"Ah, decided to join us, have you?" Rubin greeted loudly. A few soldiers chuckled, but snapped back to attention once they earned a glare from their Lieutenant Officer. "Come on, come on, to the front now."

Link hurried to the front of the group, rolling his eyes once Rubin called him further forward to make his own little line of one in front of everyone else. He too stood to attention and kept his gaze lazily on Rubin as he strolled about the front of the large group.

"_Fall in_!" Lt. Officer Rubin Coles yelled, though all his privates were already in formation. "_Attention_!" Hands snapped up to foreheads as they saluted. He saluted back sharply, then started pacing before the group as he called for them to spread out, taking up almost the entire courtyard, unsheathe their weapons and hold them before themselves.

A series of drills were performed. Link did his best, though he was a little clumsy, what with his still having one shoulder unable to be used. Rubin hovered around him for longer than anyone else and Link was certain that his old friend relished being able to order and jeer a little as he did.

Link himself immensely enjoyed having a sword in his hand again but more than that, being able to use it for something other than just using it to incapacitate or kill. Rubin was always at his throat, telling him to "Straighten up!", "Swing stronger!" or "No, don't _fall_!"

It wasn't long before the new Spring sun was shining down on the group of Privates –and Link- and the men had all but collapsed from exhaustion.

Link sat alone in a corner, not bothering to talk to any of the newcomers. His shirt, now filthy with sweat, was thrown beside him as he lay comfortably with his hands under his head, enjoying the heat of the sun. He had only closed his eyes for half a moment when he heard someone come and sit next to him.

"Enjoying yourself, huh?" Rubin asked.

"A little, I suppose," Link replied easily. Truth be told, he savoured this, being amongst soldiers again and simply training.

"Oh, well, that's great, because I think it's time we go again," Rubin announced, sounding slightly disgruntled. He got to his feet, calling for the others to get up and back into formation. His own dark, curly hair was glistening as he brushed it back from his face.

Sweating profusely, the group of near three score soldiers started performing their moves again, though rather sluggishly. The midday heat was beginning to make them all feel slightly lethargic as they performed their sharp, orderly movements and Rubin's voice sounded slightly hoarse from yelling.

"Oh, come on, you dolts, can't you even move without tripping over your feet?" he yelled, frustrated.

"Do you deem it necessary for this session to be relayed to Officer Brawdy, Lt. Officer Coles?" a voice asked from behind him. Rubin clenched his fists in anger at his soldiers for a moment, before turning to see Princess Zelda standing behind him, frowning as her eyes came to rest on Link at the front of the group. "It doesn't seem like you have much control over your Brigade."

"No, no, it's fine, your Highness, just fine," Rubin replied, a little flustered. "They were just ...cooling down, anyway."

"...I see."

Link slowly tried to back away into the group of training soldiers, tried to shield himself from the Princess's wrath that he was beginning to fear slightly.

"You still refuse a little gratitude, after all I have done for you, don't you?" Link swore as he saw her eyes swing to him murderously. "You can't even show a _smidgeon_ of respect?" She grabbed his hand, unclenched it from around the hilt of his sword and threw it to the ground, it's point landing with a clash against the stone.

"Ah, Princess..." His sentence trailed off as a strange sensation overcame him. He lost control of his body as his knees became weak and crumpled beneath him. A sudden light filled his view. Zelda swore as she saw him fall.

Link's awakening was groggy and uncoordinated. The first sense to come back to him was his sense of smell. The fragrant aroma of a meaty broth wafted over to him and stirred his empty stomach. It growled.

"Awake, are you?"

Link groaned in response.

"Well, come on, don't just lie there. Open your eyes, try to sit up."

Though still completely dazed, and now slightly irked, Link tried to do as told. He opened his eyes after a moment, reluctantly becoming accustomed to the light cast around the room by a fire in the corner. As he sat up, a thin blanket fell off him and a cup was thrust into his hand.

"Drink this," said the woman towering over him. Her face was one that provoked immediate fear, and made Link's 'flight' instinct almost make him spring to his feet. She made him feel like a little child again. He just stared at her for a few moments, eyes wide. "Stop staring and drink it," she scolded. "It won't do you any good sitting there and warming in your hands, now will it?"

Link raised it to his lips and swallowed it in a few gulps. "Who... Who are you?" he asked hoarsely.

"My name is Impa," she replied stonily.

"This is bad, Impa," Princess Zelda suddenly said, entering the room in a rush. She glanced at Link, fury in her eyes. "Oh, you're awake." Her voice concealed the anger well.

"I apologise for _whatever_ I have done to anger you this time, Princess," he replied flatly.

"And no matter what I owe to the Goddesses, I will begrudge this against you," she seethed.

"And will either of you ladies be so kind to inform of this great unkindness that I have apparently done?"

"How are you feeling?" Impa asked suddenly. Link pondered the thought for a moment.

"Uh, fine, I guess. A little sore from the training session. Boy, it really did seem like Rubin was trying to torture me. I mean, -"

"Right." She paused and when she spoke again her voice was slightly hesitant. "And... uh, how much do you know, exactly of the Tr-"

"Impa," Zelda rebuked sharply. She shook her head at the older woman causing Link to narrow his eyes at the Princess.

"The what?" he ventured. Impa and Zelda seemed to be having a glaring match. Link's stomach growled again. "Listen, Princess, when you make up your mind to tell me... whatever it is that you aren't telling me, I'll be in the military barracks. For now, I'm heading to the kitchens."

He untangled himself from the thin blanket that had been covering him and stood up, a little shaky at first but then took a few long, confident strides to the door of the little shack they were in. He pushed the door, gentle at first, then again, harder, when it didn't open. It quickly sunk in that he was not in the infirmary, nor any part of the Castle he had seen so far. He spun around wildly for a moment, before fixing his glare on Impa and Zelda.

"Where am I?" he demanded gruffly.

"It does not concern you at this time," Impa replied sagely. Link's expression grew dark.

"Why am I not allowed to leave?"

"This area is dangerous. We do not want you getting lost." He was not satisfied, but Impa's look made him cower back onto the bed and sit.

It was hours before Link was left alone. Impa and Zelda sat on chairs beside the fire, murmuring quietly and constantly examining scrolls, before they both finally retired for the night. After the earlier interrogation, neither had spoken to Link again.

He shuffled tiredly to sit on the earth before the burning embers left of the fire. He blew roughly on them a few times, sighing gratefully as the flames shot back up and provided him with comforting warmth. Lolling his head back onto one of the chairs, he lazily picked up a scroll and started to read.

_It is an ancient force, believed to be bestowed by the Goddesses themselves unto the world. The Triforce. _

Triforce.

The word hit him, like a rock to the back of his head. He knew suddenly that this is what the two ladies had been discussing. His eyes continued of their own regard, reading ahead eagerly to find what secret they tried to keep from him.

It was only when the first pinks of the morning were just barely touching the sky that Link finally fell asleep, the last piece of parchment falling from his fingers onto the hearth.

_The most ostentatious, and perhaps also the most useful, of the Hero's armoury was the legendary Master sword, also known as the Sword of Evil's Bane. Legend has it that it is kept in the Forest Temple, a place significant to all the Heroes throughout time._

Perhaps it was just the mention of a legendary sword that had roused Link's interest in the early hours of the morning, or perhaps it had been the rumour that it was in the Forest Temple. Saria's special place had always been off limits to the Kokiri children and though Link had been the most daring of them all, even he had not ventured there yet. Though he did know where it was.

The next day, Impa and Princess Zelda had not let him leave the... place, again. Neither of them left either, instead they sat with their heads together again, whispering to each other all day. Again, they did not speak to Link, save to ask him to sweep the floor, boil some water, or keep the fire going.

It was not before the next night, however, that Link was left alone again, the other two leaving to sleep in another room. He grabbed a thick, woollen cloak from the back of a chair, placing it around his shoulders in preparation. He scuffled to the door and tried to pry it open again, quickly giving up when he realised that it most likely could not be opened without the magic that the Princess possessed. Spinning around, he looked desperately for a way out. There was a window, but it was bolted down, as he had figured out earlier in the day when he had tried to let some air in.

It was a strange sort of hut, for beside the fire place was a grate that, when opened, let a few piece of wood tumble out for rekindling. He had seen Impa use it several times through the day. Shaking his head at his own idiocy, he crouched on his knees and hand, teetering strangely for he did not have a forth functioning limb to lean on. One arm was still held close to his chest with some fabric, keeping the shoulder from moving.

Carefully he pried the grate open, putting his hand out when three pieces of coarsely chopped log rolled out. He moved them aside, trying to make the least noise possible, and put his head into the hole, crawling in slowly. Another piece of wood rolled out and hit him on the head and Link bit his tongue in an attempt not to cry out. He paused for a moment, letting his eyes become accustomed to the shrouding darkness, then stood up cautiously when he established that he was still indoors.

He had crawled from beneath a table, on which a mechanism was set up to release a few pieces of wood form the stack on it every time the grate was opened. He felt around carefully, his hand running along the walls until he found a slight gap. Fumbling, he moved his hand around in order to find a catch or a knob that would see him on the other side of the wall. He found a rusted old knob that turned precariously to let the door swing open. It squeaked as it swung in towards him, making Link wince.

He hurried through it, closing it behind him in haste and then surveying his surroundings. It didn't take him long to figure out where he was. It was familiar to him and whilst it did not give him a homecoming feeling, he knew it had been his home for quite some years.

He stood at the edge of the Lost Woods.

A grin broke out on his face. For someone so often injured, tortured and almost constantly in some sort of harrying pain, he was certainly a very optimistic man. Sometimes it felt like the Goddesses were truly on his side. This was one of these times.

He strode forward confidently, not even bothering to mount one of the horses he could see tethered up just around the corner. If it had been anyone else, they may have shied away, but Link knew this forest well.

Though the days had begun to get warmer, the nights were still chilling. Link pulled his borrowed cloak around him tighter as he entered the wrath of the old forest, the stiff trees seeming to sway in the wind, beckon him forward.

* * *

A/N:

Oh crud. I'm so incredibly sorry at the... three months it's taken me to put this up. I swear, I had it done in a month, then deleted it all, because it simply sucked. I'm still not completely happy with this but... oh well. Sorry.

School is a usurper, taking up my time with useless things like Trigonometry and French verb conjugations. Man, I feel so terrible for not finding time and writing this sooner.

A cyber hug to Tek Sonay, who has kept a conversation going with me even though I'm a terrible person who often doesn't keep her promises.

No promises on the next update, though I will sincerely try and keep it less than three months.

All of those that read, thanks for sticking with me, and don't be shy to leave some feedback.

buddy w


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